PENANG opposition lawmakers had a dramatic finish today on the final day of the last state legislative assembly sitting before the 14th general election.

All ten reps, led by opposition leader Jahara Hamid (BN-Teluk Air Tawar), staged a walkout from the House after Pulau Betong assemblyman Muhamad Farid Saad’s motion to stop all hill slope developments was “hijacked”.

Farid (BN-Pulau Betong) was calling for all projects on hill slopes to be halted until developers could prepare water dispersal, soil and hill slope enhancement plans together with their development proposals.

He also called for the approval of such projects to be put on hold until holistic drainage systems could be built or the developers could pledge to bear full responsibility if floods occur due to their projects.

He also called on the government to follow the Penang Structure Plan to disallow all projects on hill land over 76m above sea level and on slopes exceeding 25°.

However, after Farid had finished and his colleague Shariful Azhar Othman (BN-Bertam) spoke in support of the motion, deputy chief minister Mohd Rashid Hasnon (PKR-Pantai Jerejak) stood up and proposed for the motion to be amended.

He proposed that the state and federal governments worked together to set up a joint committee to deal with the implications of climate change.

“To take into consideration the grouses of the people affected by the recent flash floods, we propose all development, namely those in environmentally sensitive areas, be reviewed by the joint committee so that all development planning proposals could be regulated and monitored holistically and in detail.

“The committee, with the technical and expertise support of all federal and state departments and agencies, will audit all ongoing development projects in Penang to ensure stricter enforcement on safety at construction sites.

“All developments on hill land over 76m above sea level and on slopes exceeding 25° are prohibited,” he said.

Farid protested the amendment, accusing the state government of using its majority control in the House to “table, intercept and copy” his motion.

“You have the numbers in the House. Why didn’t you table your own motion?” he said.

In the House of 40 state elected reps, 19 are from DAP, 10 are from PKR and one is from PAS.

A shouting match soon broke out, with Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (DAP-Air Putih) joining the fray, telling Farid not to accuse the state of copying his motion.

“Amend. After I had tabled my motion, you want to amend it,” Farid said.

“Bagi (give) chance la,” Lim said, tickling other members of the House.

When Jahara stood up to express her disappointment with how things had gone, Lim reminded her not to run away, as she had yet to explain an accusation she had allegedly made against the state government concerning relief aid for victims hit by the September 15 flash flood.

“Jangan lari, ya (don’t run off, ya). You have not explained yourself. Stay back,” Lim said, as the shouting match escalated.

Farid shouted that he disagreed with the amendment while Dr Afif Bahardin (PKR-Seberang Jaya) asked if the amendment was not good while several assemblymen continued to raise their voices in the heated exchange.

BN reps then all stood up and left. Lim was heard saying: “Pengecut (cowards). Don’t run off like that.”

In an immediate press conference, Jahara said what the state did was an example of gutter politics and did not reflect the administration’s CAT (competency, accountability, transparency) principles.

“We were backstabbed with the amendment. We left the House in protest,” she told reporters.

She said the state had admitted there were approved projects on hill slopes, but was trying to put the responsibility on the federal government.

Shariful reminded the state that approving such projects were on the state government, not the federal government.

“Farid’s motion is calling for these projects to be stopped, not to just be subjected to better monitoring,” he said.

Farid said he felt what the state government did was morally wrong, although the amendment was legally made according to the state assembly’s regulations and rules.

“Why couldn’t they think of their own motion? This is not the first time they have pulled something like this.

“My motion is a reflection of what the people are worrying about and the demands Penang civil society groups have been making. Amending the motion just shows how they use their majority powers to suppress the voices of others.

“And who is the chief minister to warn us not to run away. We didn’t run. We walked out in protest,” he said.

Meanwhile back in the House, Lee Khai Loon (PKR-Machang Bubok) said the BN reps should have stayed to discuss the motion further and to listen to other reps’ views on the subject.

He also said Farid’s motion had many weaknesses.

Rashid said he regretted the reaction of the BN reps, as the motion was only amended, not rejected.

The motion was passed without objections.

When asked to comment on the BN reps’ unhappiness and remarks on the amended motion, Lim said the state had merely followed the standing orders of the state legislative assembly.

“How come when we follow the House’s standing orders, it is morally wrong, but when they made a blatant lie, it is morally right? I don’t understand their morality,” he said. – November 14, 2017.